Your Devil's Heart
by K900
Summary: Emmanuelle Mimieux is saved from an vicious attack by Col. Hans Landa. But can she trust a Nazi?
1. Chapter 1

**Paris. 1941**

It was a cool evening and Hans Landa was restless. Not wanting to attract unnecessary attention to himself, he changes from his SS uniform top for a simple grey shirt. He locks the door of his Art Deco apartment and goes for a walk in his neighbourhood. As he walks further and further, the cares of the day fall away and he relaxes. In the city square and he finds a book burning event winding down. Men cleaning up the mess, and townspeople already going their separate ways.

He turns the corner and finds himself in a collision course with a young lady. He had hit her hard, probably because she wasn't paying attention to where she was going. She was short, with brown hair cascading from a little beret. She was quite beautiful, her green eyes sparkling in the night.

A small blue volume dropped from underneath her longcoat. The letters set in silver glimmered in the night. It read 'The Selected Poems of Heinrich Heine.'

He picked it up and eyed it suspiciously. It's edges were singed with soot. It was warm to the touch.

She stammered, 'You—won't report me, will you?' the sweat stood out on her temple.

He eyed her suspiciously. ' There is a stiff penalty for harbouring degenerate literature. A minimum of which, is one year, I believe.'

She tried to say something in her defence, 'But…I…'

She was at a loss for words. It was hopeless. She was caught red-handed.

He leaned forward and whispered to her. 'Which I believe is _totally_ absurd. Your secret is quite safe with me, Madame.' he smiled like a mischievous boy and handed her the volume. She let out a loud sigh of relief. She could not believe her luck.

'Thank you,' she said, still quite astonished at his generosity. 'Thank you _so_ very much.' She repeated, immensely relieved. She was about to go her way when he said to her:

'Won't you read me one poem?'

'Here? Now?' she said, for it was quite a dark deserted street.

'Well, it's getting cold. How bout in that cafe that's open late.' he pointed down the street. ' The one at the end. La Padite's. Do you know it?'

'Yes, I do.'

They turned in its direction. He offered her his arm, and she shyly accepted.

'So, you are a writer, Miss?'

'Mimieux. I'm not a writer.' she blushed.

'I just adore poetry. Heine doesn't deserve to burn at the stake, is all.'

'I agree. The Reich is a little _too_ zealous interfering with our private lives.'

'I don't like National Socialism, or Nazis, for that matter.' She said.

 _Thank god I didn't wear my uniform tonight._ Landa thought.

'They aren't my cup of tea either. I'm Hans.'

'Are you German?'

'From Vienna, actually.'

'What brings you to Paris?'

'I have a client who has retained my services for the duration of the war.'

'Sounds interesting, what exactly do you do?'

'I'm an investigator. My client has some cases for me to do here. How about yourself Miss Mimieux?'

'I run a small cinema.'

He raised his eyebrows, 'How does a young person like yourself end up owning a cinema?'

'My uncle died last year during Blitzkrieg. He left it to me.'

'I'm sorry to hear about that.'

'He took me in after my parents were killed by the Germans.'

'That is unfortunate.'

She was one of the many faceless people whose lives they had changed forever in their bid to serve the Fatherland. He had never given them a thought. Here she was, she had lost her parents and was totally on her own. _That's why they hate us,_ he thought.

Finally they had reached La Padite's Cafe and entered. Emmanuelle found a small table by the window. He brought her a coffee and she opened the slender volume.

'What sort of poem do you wish to hear? He has all sorts. Some are about myths and legends, some are love, some are quite serious.'

She could see him quite clearly now in the light of the cafe, and saw that he had rather fine features. Although he was older than most men she'd gone out with, he was quite attractive. His hair was a pleasing shade of reddish brown with white hair beginning to show at the temples. Intelligent, and well spoken, he seemed an earnest and well meaning man.

'I don't know. How about your favourite poem.' he said.

'Hmmm..' she leafed through the book and began:

I don't believe in Heaven,

Whose peace the preacher cites:

I only trust your eyes now,

They're my heavenly lights.

I don't believe in God above,

Who gets the preacher's nod:

I only trust your heart now,

And have no other god.

I don't believe in Devils,

In hell or hell's black art:

I only trust your eyes now,

And your devil's heart.

Hans watched her intently, her voice rising and falling had a sweet quality about it. She read with much feeling.

'It seems that when one is in love, one can easily rely on being betrayed.' He tells her.

'Unless the Devil betrays himself.'

'Very poetic. Miss Mimieux.' he smiled 'Won't you read me some more?'

Her cheeks reddened ever so slightly.

'Only if you call me Emmanuelle.' she joked.

She read to him nearly the whole volume before he thought to look at his watch.

'Can you believe it? It is nearly midnight.' He says.

The lateness of the hour had crept up on them unexpectedly. 'I must get home.' she says

'May I accompany you? I want to make sure you are safe. It was on my account that you're out at this hour.'

'Alright.'

They walk to her apartment, on Valland St. The lights of the city twinkling in the distance.

'Will I see you again?' she asks when they reach the door.

'I am always in this neighbourhood. We will surely bump into each other, somehow.' he reassures her. She kisses him on both cheeks as is customary. He returns the gesture, suppressing a flutter of excitement of being so close to her.

 _If only I wasn't a Nazi._ he thought sadly as he kissed her soft cheek.


	2. Chapter 2

**Gen. Koenig's Country Chateau, outside France**

Captain Landa ditched his staff car to drive by motorbike to the General's country chateau to deliver his formal report. He wanted to breathe in the cool country air and the scent of lavender that grows in abundance in this region of France.

When he enters the grounds of the Chateau he makes makes his way to the main house. There, he finds each room more opulently decorated than the last. Sculptures, tapestries, bronzes, paintings all of historic value. _Exquisite, but it's all stolen,_ he reminds himself.

He reaches the upper floor apartments via a grand marble staircase. Messengers of all sorts file in and out. In an anteroom is Gen. Koenig's adjutant and personal bodyguard, a stern looking officer named **Dieter Hellstrom**.

A man, whom rumours insist, is Koenig's bastard son and assassin for hire. He wonders how many rivals Dieter has despatched to advance his father's career. A chill runs through him and he sets his fear aside.

'I'm here to deliver my report on our recent intelligence gathering.' says Hans, taking off his leather gloves.

'He's waiting for you in the map room, Colonel Landa. Pls go ahead.'

He enters past a heavily sculpted door, and finds the General drinking cognac sitting by a large table map of Europe, with little tanks, armies, ships and planes, all waging a real war in a front far away.

'Landa, you old dog.' he smiled broadly ' tell me you have discovered something useful.' Slapping him on the back.

'That I have, General.' he said, removing the document from his coat pocket.

The general took out his gold rimmed spectacles and read its contents. He grew quite serious. It's header read: Operation Jaguar. Allied Paratroop operations in France to disable German Radar listening posts.

'You recovered this from some spy, huh? Have you confirmed the veracity of this data?'

'Indeed I have. Our agents at the mentioned ports have noticed troop ships disguised as merchant ships approaching these very sea lanes. It also confirms what reconnaissance has been reporting all month.'

The old man patted Landa's back. 'The Fuhrer will be pleased. Not to mention those dullards at Strategic Services.'

'Just doing my job, sir.'

'We'll relay to Eagle's nest, and get direction from there.' He called out to his adjutant 'Dieter wire this to the Fuhrer, _now_.'

The old man poured Landa a drink and a refill for himself. 'I smell a promotion. Who knows? You'll make Oberfuhrer (Senior Colonel) for this, at least that's what your bureau chief, Gen. Scherner tells me.' he excitedly nudged the colonel.

'I wouldn't count on it.' Landa modestly protested. The old man's eye twinkled. 'Well no one's deserved it more.' He raised his glass. 'To the Thousand year Reich!' yelled the old general. They drank all the way to the bottom. Hans felt the unbelievable rush of heat down his throat, the quick shot of adrenalin to the head, making him warm all over.

'Run along now, Landa. I've got a hot date.' The old man said with wink.

'Good night, General.' he said and closed the door behind him.

He exited the upper apartments, and descended the grand marble staircase to the foyer. There, two officers roughly escort a beautiful looking young lady. She wasn't richly dressed like the usual visitors he'd seen. She looked tired and slightly disheveled. As they came closer he found something oddly familiar about that face and long brown hair. Gravely, he realises that he has met her before.

It was Emmanuelle Mimieux.


	3. Chapter 3

But here she was at Koenig's chateau.

As her SS captors escorted her up the stairs Emmanuelle feels the eyes of a stranger on her. She recognises him immediately. _Hans._ _That filthy liar._ He passes by, as if he doesn't know her at all. _Nazis, they're all the same._

Hans turns the corner and doubles back, enters a secret stairwell. He'd discovered it wholly by chance on a previous occasion. Today, it was by sheer luck that it was left unlocked.

Reaching the upper level, he enters a sumptuously decorated library. He slips in unobserved, bypassing the guards and the heavy security. It is dimly lit. He checks carefully to see if there are any more guards. Moving down hall, he can hear the General and Emmanuelle.

He edges past the study until he is right outside the general's bedroom. The door is slightly ajar. He sees inside that Emmanuel is struggling against the old man who has pinned her on the bed. Her skirt raised above the knee. He has begun to undo his trousers.

'Stop struggling, you're only making this much harder for yourself.' he said.

'I'd rather die.' she spits in his face.

He slaps her in return and says 'That can be arranged.' and starts to tear off her dress.

He can hear her struggle beneath him, knocking aside the bedside table, and the sound of breaking glass.

Unable to bear anymore, he takes out his SS Knife and in three strides, goes behind Koenig, grabs his forehead and in one swift motion, slashes his throat from ear to ear. With his hands he stifles Koenig's screams as the big man collapses. Copious amounts of blood begin to pool on the floor. Koenig tries to get free but he's no match for the younger, stronger Colonel. The sudden blood loss and the struggle for air proves too much for him. His vision darkens, blurs and he loses consciousness.

Landa rises from the floor, and sees Emanuelle, shaking silently in shock.

'Get dressed.' he says averting his eyes from her state of undress, 'Quickly now!' he says.

As if awakened from a nightmare, she puts on her clothes. He grabs her by the hand and guides her down the hidden passageway and into the sitting room downstairs. No one is aware of what he has done. And won't be for sometime.

He whispers to her. 'Take my arm, and pretend I am your escort. Can you do that?'

She nods 'Y-yes.' she says, still reeling from the shock.

'Don't look anyone in the eye, understand?'

He offers her his arm and they walk together out of the villa, slowly and calmly, thru the west wing, where the general has his art displayed and exit by a portico where Hans' bike is parked. They ride on, Hans starts the engine when an armed guard runs towards them instructing them to stop.

'Halt! Halt!'

Hans instinctively reaches for his sidearm, but Emmanuelle stops him, tightly gripping his wrist.

'A message from Berlin, Colonel.' says the young man, a note in his hand.

'Oh? Is there?' he says, feigning irritation. He opens it and reads.

Hans,

Telephone me, and present the specifics of this information you have found so I can coordinate with the High Command and formulate a strategy. Next time you're in Berlin, let us discuss your upcoming promotion and future prospects.

Himmler

Hans tucks the note into his jacket. The guard salutes and dutifully returns to his post.

Calmly they exit the grounds of the estate make for the road out. To avoid suspicion, Hans maintains his usual speed, no more no less.

At last, they reach the last guard post. The staff salute him, as the last guard rail is raised.

But the general alarm whines. Landa picks up speed, He swerves down the curved road to take advantage of the cover of the trees. Shots ring out behind them, and he feels a sharp pain like fire go up his arm.

Trucks pursue them, but they are no match for his motorbike. They enter an interlocking network of country roads. Losing them is easy for Hans Landa who knows this territory well.

She sees warm blood trickling down his sleeve.

'You're shot. We have to get help.' she says

'Not yet. The SS could still be behind us.'

In an effort to stem the bleeding, she takes out a scarf and ties his arm tightly with it. He growls in pain.

'Where are we going?' she asks.

'North. But I know of no place, no friends with whom we can hide.'

'I have a friend, Messieur Bertrand. He has a farmhouse we can hide in. Stop and let me drive.'

Satisfied that they aren't being followed, he stops the bike by the roadside, and from there, she takes over. She can sense he is losing blood and is struggling to stay alert.

'Hold on to me.' She says.

Finally they stop before a small and modest homestead. Night has fallen. Draping his arm over her, she helps him reach the door. She knocks loudly. It is a country road and there are no neighbours to overhear her cry out.

'M'sieur Bertrand! It's Emmanuelle!'

An elderly gentleman opens the door, and he's shocked to see her carrying a deathly pale SS officer on her arm, his left sleeve drenched in blood.

'Emmanuelle, my dear. Who is this? What has happened?'

'He saved me from General Koenig. He's been shot trying to help me escape.'

'Get inside.' he helps carry Hans.' Let us put him on the kitchen table.'

Landa feels himself laid on a hard wood surface. He sees a lone light bulb above him. An elderly gentleman, removes the scarf, and takes off his shirt to examine his wounds.

'It doesn't look too serious. It's missed the bone, thank goodness.'

The old man puts a bottle to his lips. 'Its whiskey, drink up, man.' he takes a big draught of it and begins to drift into an alcohol induced haze.


	4. Chapter 4

**At the Koenig Chateau.**

As Dieter Hellstrom finds the bloodied corpse of his father, he runs to his side to see if he is still alive. Frantic, he raises him up on his knee, but it is too late.

'I wasn't here when you needed me.' he whispers over his father's body. _I have failed you._ He thinks of the only thing left for him to do.

 _Hans Landa, you are going to die for this._

 **Bertrand Farmhouse: Safe at last**

Hans eyes open and it is morning. He finds that he's been moved to a bedroom upstairs, and covered with a heavy grey blanket. He wonders where he is. _The farmhouse, right._ A sharp pain greets him on his newly bandaged shoulder. A wince escapes from his lips.

'Awake at last.' he hears her soft voice. She appears by his side.

'How do you feel?' She asks

'Weak.' his stomach growls. 'Is there something I could eat?'

'Of course.' she says, and returns with a tray of coffee, bread and oatmeal.

She helps him sit up. He moves with difficulty, but manages to feed himself. He sees she is deep in thought.

'You never returned to La Padite's.' she said. _She wanted to see me._ The thought thrilled him.

He could not look her in the eye. 'You made it quite plain that you didn't like Nazis and I wasn't about to deceive you for my personal benefit.'

'And yet, it was your being a Nazi that saved me. Strange, isn't it?'

He nodded. 'Emmanuel, I am sorry about your parents. I meant it then, as I do now. And your hate—,' a look of shame came over him. 'is perfectly justified.'

She put her hand on his and squeezed it reassurringly. ' I don't hate you. How can I? You saved me from an experience that would have left me _scarred_ —to say the least.'

'Any decent person would have done the same.'

'That's why you're not like them.' she said.v'Thank you Hans. I'm truly grateful.' She embraces him. He can't remember the last time he'd been embraced. Her arms tightened around him. He felt a small kiss on his cheek.

'What will you do?' he asked, trying to compose himself 'Where will you go, now that you can't go home?'

'I can stay out here. I have friends who can protect me from the Gestapo. The Basterds.'

A flash of recognition crosses his face. 'You've heard of them?' she asked.

'Who hasn't? They're the scourge of the Wehrmacht. You'll be safe in their care.'

'What about you, Hans? The SS will be out searching for you too.'

'I need to make my way to Vienna. There, new identity papers can be made, and easier to hide in plain sight.'

'Sounds like a good plan.' she said, caressing his shoulder. 'Rest now, you'll need it.'


	5. Chapter 5

**An Unexpected Arrival.**

It is early morning. Hans wakes, panic sweeps over him when he realises his wrists are chained to the metal frame of the bed. Emmanuel is no longer sleeping beside him. Sitting in the chair beside him, is the Basterds very own Wilhelm Wicki. He is smoking a cigarette, a submachine gun on his lap. He holds up Hans' Luger.

'Looking for this, Herr Landa?'

He looks around, and with him are other members of the Basterds sitting on the floor.

'Let me introduce myself. I'm Wilhelm Wicki, this here is Donny Donowitz aka "the Bear Jew," Hugo Stiglitz, who I'm sure you know about, Smithson Utivitch, and that lady on Hugo's arm is Ivonne Bergman.'

'What do you want from me?'

'Answers.' Wilhelm takes out his SS jacket and starts to empty its contents. He unfolds the telegram from Berlin, and an SS ID, which Wicki unfolds to reveal the photo of Aldo Raine.

'Aldo Raine has been missing for a week now. And here are false identity papers with his photo on it. Why do you have this document? How did you come by it?'

'Two days ago I was sent to interrogate him about a Rail Terminal Bombing that he'd done. He posed as an SS officer. It was found on his person during the investigation.'

'Where is he now?'

'I don't know.'

'Did you execute him?'

'No. I _only_ interrogated him.'

'Then he must still be at the detention centre.'

'He's no longer there.'

'You're story's got a pretty big hole in it.'

'I realise that, but it _is_ the truth.'

Emanuelle enters.

'Wicki, what are you doing?'

Wicki holds up his hand and hands her Aldo's SS papers. 'Look what we found in his pocket.'

Her eyes fix on Hans. Tears begin to well up in her eyes.

'You saw Aldo? Where is he?'

'I don't know, Emmanuelle.' says Hans.

It becomes quite clear to him that Aldo, is much more than a friend to her.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Prisoner.**

Hans' wrists are chained behind his back and he is moved to the basement of the Bertrand Farmhouse. He has a small cot by a corner near a small window. Nearby, he is under constant watch by Donowitz, Utivitch, Stiglitz and Ivonne, who share this basement with him.

It's only been a few hours, but he finds his uncertain future difficult to accept. They already killed hundreds of SS, his life probably meant very little to them. And Emmanuelle? She probably thinks he had something to do with Aldo's disappearance. That is even more difficult to bear. He was almost free, he had nearly won her and the Basterds came and changed all that.

A hate started to grow inside him. Perhaps it was anger over the fact that he'd sacrificed his military future only to end up in a prisoner of the Basterds, or that he'd failed to win Emmanuelle. Or was it jealousy that she was Aldo's? It was all one big mess. But he was angry, alright.

That night, as Emmanuel stacks supplies in the basement, she checks up on him to see if he is alright. Ivonne watches on, a pistol by her side.

He sits on his cot, the bindings on his wrists awfully tight. He looks despondently at her.

'How long have you and Aldo been together?' he asks.

'About a year or so. But we were often apart, and it didn't last long.'

'Can't you ask them to let me go? Emmanuelle, please, they never take prisoners, you know that. I don't want to die here.'

'You have to trust me. As long as you try to help us find Aldo, they will keep their word, and let you go.'

'I told you, I _don't_ know where he is. Keeping me here isn't going to help you find him. That is a fact.'

'Maybe.'

'What exactly does that mean? Are you going to let them _torture_ me? After all I've done for you, I am repaid with captivity?'

She was oddly silent. He felt the anger in him take over.

'It was a mistake to kill Koenig. I Should have just let him take you, at least I wouldn't be chained up in this basement.'

She walked away, unable to answer. That night, she cried herself to sleep.

 **Bertrand Farmhouse: A sad farewell.**

Hugo Stiglitz and his girl, Ivonne are bidding each other goodbye.

'How long are you gonna be away?' Hugo asks.

'A few months, perhaps. This is the Reichs Ministry office. We have to be careful. You're one of the most easily recognisable members of the Basterds. There's no way you can visit me. I wish I didn't have to go, but there's so much information there that can help our cause.'

'You're right. I just can't…wrap my head around it.'

'I'm going to miss you, but sacrifices _have_ to be made.'

Hugo looked dejected.

'Yeah, it's the right thing to do. I understand.' He stares at the floor.

She hugs him tightly. 'I will make it up to you, I promise.'

'Don't go.' says Landa 'There are people doing random background checks at the Ministry _everyday_. If they find you, you won't have a chance to escape.'

'We know the risks, Kraut.' says Donny. 'Let's go ahead as planned. _Don't_ listen to him. He's just trying to get in your head and mess you up.'

They exit the basement and get into the jeep, and Ivonne is off to Paris.


	7. Chapter 7

**Night. Outside the Bertrand Farmhouse**

Wilhelm Wicki and Emmanuelle walk together in the woods to check if their perimeter is safe. They watch the treeline to see if there are enemies nearby. They are on their way back, when they see something quite peculiar.

A red kerchief is signalling from a window inside the farmhouse.

'It's morse code. In german.' says Wicki. 'It's only a fragment of a message. It means they meet again. Same time as now…in 2 days.'

'Can you see the face.'

'None. Just the hands.'

'Let's track the recipient.' They see a flashlight in the distance in the woods, replying in morse using light. They creep carefully towards the main road, where the spy is headed. They hide in a deep ditch. It's already freezing cold, but their patience pays off. It's a german soldier in mufti, only his combat boots give him away. He takes out a bicycle concealed in the forest and pedals away.

'There's a rat in the farmhouse.' whispers Wicki.

 **Bertrand Farmhouse: A wake up call**

'Wake up, Hans.' says Wicki, slapping his face side to side.

Hans opens his eyes and it is still dark. Wicki towers over him and Emmanuelle stands behind him.

'Get up. On your feet, soldier.' He stands as ordered.

'What time is it?' he asks.

'About 4am, Landa. Got someplace to go?' Wicki asks.

'Em, Go start searching. Take your time, and be thorough.' orders Wicki.

She starts to check every nook and cranny of his cell.

Donny, Utivitch, Stiglitz and Ivonne watch on, half asleep from their cots, rubbing their eyes.

'What are you looking for?' Utivitch asks.

'Weapons, knives.' says Wicki.

'Landa, face the wall.' Wicki starts to frisk Hans.

'If i so much find a blade, you're gonna get an unforgettable thrashing.' Wicki warns him.

They turn the cell upside down. The bed, the mattress. His water cup, wash basin, towel.

Emmanuelle shakes her head. 'It's clean. No contraband.' _No red kerchief,_ she means to say.

 _It ain't Hans._ Wicki thinks. _And I have no reason to search everyone else. F-ck._

They walk out, leaving Hans' cell in shambles.


	8. Chapter 8

**Night. The Bertrand Farmhouse Basement**

It's dark, and someone has entered Hans' cell to clear away his empty plate. He sees the door open and a figure enter. Having slipped his chained wrists to the front of him, he leaps from his bed and slips his arms around his unwitting victim, pinning his arms to his sides. And with a strong stomp, breaks the foot of his guard. A loud feminine voice cries out in pain. _Emmanuelle?_

In an instant, Donny Donowitz appears and hits Landa hard on the cheek, knocking him out.

He wakes Donowitz is there standing over him. A stern look on his face.

'Emmanuelle, how is she?' he asks.

'Broke her foot. You won't be seeing Miss Compassion around here, no more, that's for sure. I'm on watch now, and for your little stunt, you'll won't be having anything to eat for the next 8 hours. That should teach you some fuckin' manners.'

Bitter regret fills him. _The longer I stay here, the less I know myself and the more I hurt her._

 **Delatour Forest: A grave matter**

Emmanuelle, nursing her injured foot, sits with an easel, pretending to sketch the surrounding hillside. While Wicki investigates the woods around the SS detention centre. He returns, and tells her his findings.

'There's no sign of a grave anywhere, out here. All the grass is undisturbed outside the centre. But I found boot marks, leading out of the forest, toward the city centre. And I found this in the mud.'

It was Aldo Raine's Pennsylvania-made Hamilton watch. It's band had torn right through.

Emmanuelle began to speculate. ' It means he made his way back. He could be out looking for us. We left no word from the last safe house where we'd be. He won't be able to find us unless he finds one of our own.' She pauses. 'Hans didn't execute him after the interrogation, he let Aldo go. Why?'

'We got more questions than answers.' said Wicki, 'It's time to set a trap.'


	9. Chapter 9

**Bertrand Farmhouse: The Trap**

Evening. Outside the Bertrand Farmhouse Donny Donowitz goes out to chop wood.

Off into the distance from the treeline, a flashlight begins to send signals towards the farmhouse. Inside, a red kerchief appears from a basement window and responds to the message.

Wicki rushes into the doorway leading to the basement and breaks it down. Inside, is Smithson Utivitch signalling with the red kerchief. Utivitch picks up his pistol but Wicki fires first. Utivitch falls and Wicki kicks the gun away from him.

'Why Utivitch? Why?'

'For the Fatherland. I'm no jew, Wicki. When I joined up, I knew a guerrilla force like this was worth taking down. I was simply biding my time.'

'Was Aldo's disappearance your work?'

'No, the Wehrmacht caught him bombing a Train Terminal. They did that on their own. He's probably dead. But your SS traitor, he's a prize. I had to make sure he'd die a bloody death for Koenig's murder.'

Wicki looks around and sees the cot empty, and Hugo nowhere in sight.

'Where the hell is Landa?'

'I sent Hugo a message that Ivonne was caught and killed at the ministry. The dumb bastard believed every word and went berserk. He's gonna take it out on Landa. He's dragged him into the forest to bash his brains out with Donny's bat.'

Donny enters. His eyes grow wide. 'What the hell is going on?'

'He's a nazi sympathiser. He's been reporting to the Germans on us. Help me chain him up for the OSS.'

'Sonuvabitch. I can't believe it.' says Donny who manacles the Utivitch's wrists and ankles.

Donny sees that Landa and Hugo are gone. 'Where's the prisoner?'

'Somewhere out there, Hugo's gone out to kill Landa. We gotta stop him.'

Utivitch laughed.

'That's the least of your worries. Dieter Hellstrom is coming, and he's going to kill all of you.'

 **In the Forest around the Bertrand Farm**

Emmanuelle sitting high up on a tree, shuts off the flashlight she's been using to send false signals to the farmhouse. Somewhere not too far, lies the corpse of the signals officer whom the traitor had been signalling to, compliments of Wilhelm Wicki.

Because of her broken foot, she goes down the tree carefully. Far off she sees an ominous figure dressed in black approaching her. It is an SS officer, one that she recognises from General Koenig's Chateau. He is a pale, severe looking young man.

She tries to run away, but her broken foot prevents her. Dieter Hellstrom, with precision, shoots her in the back. An electric pain shoots up her back, and she loses all feeling in her legs. She falls face down in the grass. She turns and faces her attacker, she can feel the hot blood spurting down her side.

The man approaches and prepares another shot, but behind her, she hears the faint sound of footsteps in the grass.


	10. Chapter 10

**Batter up**

Hugo Stiglitz drags Landa through the forest and forces him to kneel.

'I told you not to send her. You didn't listen to me.' pleads Landa. ' _You_ are to blame. Not me.'

This logic has no effect on Hugo, who thinks only of his Ivonne, dead in a cell somewhere at the hands of the SS. It may not bring her back, but getting even might give her a little justice. The life he'd planned with her has vanished like a dream. And there's nothing to live for anymore. All he feels right now, is pain pain pain. If a hundred dead Nazis is all that's needed to dull the pain, then a hundred dead Nazis it is.

'Hans, you want a smoke?' Hugo hands an open pack of cigarettes up to his face. Landa knows exactly what that means.

'No.' looking at his executioner with cold rage. 'Let's get this over with.'

'Alright.' Stiglitz positions the bat against the back of Han's head. He is oddly calm this Kraut. He doesn't cry, he doesn't even pray. But he sure is getting ready to die.

Hans closes his eyes and calms himself. _So this is how it ends, in a dirt field, on my knees._

All he could think about were the things that really mattered to him. His mother's face. The grave of the father he'd never known. His dear uncle, who had been the father he'd never had. And finally Soshanna. _How he ached to have her love him again. But could never be. Its too late for that now._

He nodded to Hugo.

—I'm ready.

'Die Nazi fucker.' he raises the bat as far as he can.

 **'Drop the bat, Stiglitz.'** _It's Aldo's voice._

Stiglitz turns, and indeed, it's Aldo, with Ivonne, _alive_ walking next to him.

He drops the bat, and runs to Ivonne and embraces her like he's never had before.

'How?' he sputters. 'Utivitch said you were dead.' he says.

She and Aldo exchange suspicious looks.

'Utivitch, you say.' says Aldo.

Hans, who almost died, is cut free of his bonds by Aldo.

'Fancy finding you here with my crew. You almost bought it.'

'Thanks Aldo, I owe my life to you.' he says brushing himself off. 'If you permit me, may I exact some retribution on your man, here?'

'You may.' Aldo says with his characteristic drawl.

And with that he went up to Hugo and hit him hard on the jaw, so hard Stiglitz hits the ground.

'That's for _almost_ killing me.'

Hugo, who was more ecstatic than anything that Ivonne was alive, took it like a man.

'I apologise.' he said.

'Apology accepted.' says Hans.

And they began to walk towards the farmhouse. Landa was ahead of them, far out of earshot, anyway.

'Where the hell were you all this time, Aldo?' Stiglitz asked. Ivonne holding him close.

'I got a special mission from OSS to blow up some rail lines. It was confidential so I couldn't tell a soul. I got captured and Landa here was my interrogator. He takes me out to the forest to execute me. But he actually let me go. By then I couldn't find you guys no more. I ran into some partisans who said Ivonne was at the Ministry. She told me where you was at and made a beeline here.'

'He let you go? Why'd he do that?'

'Oddest thing. He was gettin' ready to blow my brains out. And I asked as a last request, to take a photo out of my pocket to look at one last time. It was the only photo I had. It was of Emmanuelle. He looked real surprised. Like he recognised her, I think. And instead of shooting me, he shot into the sky, and told me to start running.'

'Yeah, he knows her, Aldo.' says Hugo. 'He just saved her from Gen Koenig's greasy hands.'

'Really?' Says Aldo.

'Slit his throat from ear to ear, she said.'

'Goddamn.'

Before they reach the farmhouse, a figure stumbles out of the dark. It's Donny.

'Emmanuelle. She's been shot.' he says.


	11. Chapter 11

Donny pointed in the direction of where they found Emmanuelle.

For Hans, a fear began to take hold. _How badly shot was she?_ They ran as fast as their legs could take them. Over the hill, they could see Wicki propping up Emmanuelle's head on his lap, talking to her. Wicki had blood on his face. Not too far away, was the corpse of Dieter Hellstrom.

There was blood all over her. She'd been shot several times. Her face was deathly pale.

Aldo went up close to her. She smiled when she saw him.

'Aldo. You're alright. We were so worried.'

' I'm here now. I had a secret mission, and couldn't tell you about it. I'm sorry I've been away.'

'What happened. Wicki?' asks Aldo.

'This Kraut came out of nowhere, started shooting at Em, she couldn't run because of her broken foot. Donny and I were too far off. He shot her a few times before I could take him down. Utivitch sent him to kill us all.'

Hans sank to his knees beside her.

'Now, you can go home, like you wanted.' she says.

'Emmanuelle, all this, it's my fault. If I hadn't hurt you, you'd have outrun Hellstrom. He came for me. To kill _me_. Now you're shot, on my account.' There was an anguish in his voice. A restless guilt haunted his words. She raises her hand to silence him.

'Don't blame yourself. If you hadn't saved me that day, I wouldn't have known what a fine, brave man you are. No one's ever given up so much for me. I'm sorry you came to regret your decision. I guess I wasn't good enough for you.'

He shook his head 'That's not true. I was angry, and desperate to go home, I didn't mean a word of it. I have always, always held you in my heart.'

She pulls him down by the collar and kisses him on the mouth. A soft, gentle kiss. He returns the kiss with all the tenderness he had stored up for her. With the last of her strength she holds him close. He can feel her hand caressing his hair. 'You won't believe how long I've always wanted to do that.' she smiled. She looked at him with affection. As if he was the most precious thing in her life. Ever so slowly, the light in her eyes gradually faded. Until she wasn't there anymore. Her hand fell lifeless by his side.

Hans felt something inside him break, like a wound that will never heal again. As he held her close to him one last time, he let out a heartrending cry. How long he held her, he cannot say. Only that the first streaks of light were breaking overhead when he felt Aldo's hand on his shoulder.

'Landa, you gotta let her go, man. They've come to take her away.'

Medic came and said to him. 'Sir, we'll make sure she'll be treated right. Will you let us do that?' He nodded. They lifted her from his arms and laid her gently on the waiting stretcher. Her blonde hair cascaded down from the olive canvas to the grass. She looked like she was sleeping, her face serene. It broke his heart that he won't ever see her alive again.

The End


End file.
